Method and system for providing limited distribution of a digital media file

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of providing limited distribution of a digital media file, the method being executable at a server connected to a network, the server comprising memory. The method includes receiving the digital media file to be distributed; encrypting the digital media file to create an encrypted digital media file; creating a plurality of copies of the encrypted digital media file; creating a plurality of rights tokens, a quantity of the rights tokens being equal to a quantity of copies of the encrypted digital media file, each rights token containing: a key for decrypting a corresponding one of the plurality of copies of the encrypted digital media file, and identifying information related to access rights for the digital media file; and recording the rights tokens to a rights blockchain representative of actions related to distribution of the plurality of copies of the encrypted the digital media file.

1 . A computer-implemented method of limiting a distribution of a digital media file, the method being executable at a server connected to a network, the server comprising memory, the method comprising:
 receiving, by the server from an originator, the digital media file to be distributed;   encrypting, by the server, the digital media file to create an encrypted digital media file;   creating, by the server, a limited number of copies of the encrypted digital media file;   creating, by the server, a plurality of rights tokens, a quantity of the plurality of rights tokens being equal to a quantity of the limited number of copies of the encrypted digital media file, each one of the rights tokens containing at least:
 a private key for decrypting a corresponding one of the plurality of copies of the encrypted digital media file, and 
 identifying information related to access rights for the digital media file; 
   recording, by the server via the network, the plurality of rights tokens to a rights blockchain, the rights blockchain being representative of actions related to distribution of the limited number of copies of the encrypted digital media file;   receiving, from a user device, a request to access a given copy of the encrypted digital media file, the request including user identifying information related to a user;   verifying access rights of the user, by the server via the network, by comparing the identifying information contained in a corresponding one of the plurality of rights tokens to the user identifying information;   in response to the identifying information of the corresponding one of the plurality of rights tokens matching the user identifying information:   providing, to the user device, the private key from the corresponding one of the plurality of rights tokens for decrypting the encrypted copy of the digital media file, and   causing the user device to display, on a reader or browser application, a decrypted copy of the digital media file, wherein the decrypted copy of the digital media file is not sent by the server to the user device.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the server from the originator, information related to desired controls to be placed on the copies of the digital media file;   creating a smart contract for managing distribution of the copies of the digital media file, the smart contract including at least the information related to the desired controls; and wherein:
 the smart contract is encapsulated into each one of the rights tokens. 
   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the smart contract indicates an end date for the access rights for the digital media file; and   the method further comprises:
 receiving, from a user device, a request to access a given copy of the digital media file; 
 determining that the request was sent after the end date recorded in the smart contract; and 
 sending an indication to the user device that the given copy of the digital media file cannot be accessed. 
   
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the originator, information related to a desired number of copies of the digital media file to allow for distribution; and wherein:   the quantity of rights tokens created corresponds to the desired number of copies of the digital media file.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the server from the originator, a request to store at least one copy of the copies of the encrypted digital media file in the rights blockchain;   determining, by the server, that a file size of the at least one copy exceeds a storage capacity of a block of the rights blockchain;   subdividing, by the server, the digital media file into a plurality of subpackets of information;   encrypting, by the server, each one of the plurality of subpackets of information;   creating, by the server, an assembly key for reassembling the plurality of subpackets of information; and   recording, by the server via the network, the plurality of subpackets of information to the rights blockchain, the plurality of subpackets of information being recorded over a plurality of blocks of the rights blockchain; and   wherein:   a corresponding one of the plurality of rights tokens further includes the assembly key for the at least one copy.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising recording the copies of the encrypted digital media file to the rights blockchain. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing the copies of the encrypted digital media file to the memory of the server. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing, via the network, the copies of the encrypted digital media file to a database external to the server, the database being operatively connected to the network. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising recording a link to at least one of the copies stored in the database to at least one block of the rights blockchain. 
     
     
         10 . A server comprising:
 a network communication interface for two-way communication over a network;   memory for storing instructions; and   a processor operatively connected to the memory and the network communication interface, the processor being configured to execute the instructions to:
 receive, from an originator, the digital media file to be distributed; 
 encrypt the digital media file to create an encrypted digital media file; 
 create a limited number of copies of the encrypted digital media file; 
 create a plurality of rights tokens, a quantity of the plurality of rights tokens being equal to a quantity of the limited number of copies of the encrypted digital media file, each one of the rights tokens containing at least:
 a private key for decrypting a corresponding one of the plurality of copies of the encrypted digital media file, and 
 identifying information related to access rights for the digital media file; record, via the network, the plurality of rights tokens to a rights blockchain, the rights blockchain being representative of actions related to distribution of the limited number of copies of the encrypted digital media file; 
 receive, from a user device, a request to access a given copy of the encrypted digital media file, the request including user identifying information related to a user; 
 verify access rights of the user, by the server via the network, by comparing the identifying information contained in a corresponding one of the plurality of rights tokens to the user identifying information; and 
 
 in response to the identifying information of the corresponding one of the plurality of rights tokens matching the user identifying information:
 provide, to the user device, the private key from the corresponding one of the plurality of rights tokens for decrypting the encrypted copy of the digital media file, and 
 
 cause the user device to display, on a reader or browser application, a decrypted copy of the digital media file, wherein the decrypted copy of the digital media file is not sent by the server to the user device. 
   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each one of the rights tokens further comprises ownership information for the access rights for the corresponding copy of the digital media file;   the rights blockchain prevents any addition to the quantity of the plurality of rights tokens until additional of copies of the encrypted digital media file are created by the server, so that no corresponding rights token is available for any unauthorized copy of the digital media file; and   the method further comprises updating, in the rights blockchain, the ownership information for the access rights for the copy of the digital media file when the access rights for the copy of the digital media file are transferred from one user to another user.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the private key for decrypting the corresponding one of the plurality of copies of the encrypted digital media file is not modified when the access rights for the copy of the digital media file are transferred from one user to another user. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the private key for decrypting the corresponding encrypted copy of the digital media file is only active while the user device is actively connected to the server. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising encoding at least one of the plurality of copies of the encrypted digital media file for sharing over a social networking platform. 
     
     
         15 . A computer-implemented method of gaining access to a given copy of a digital media file, the method being executable on a user device connected to a network, the method comprising:
 sending a request, by the user device to a server via the network, to gain access to the given copy of the digital media file;   receiving, from the server, an indication of an encrypted version of the given copy of the digital media file, the indication including at least a website address for accessing the encrypted version of the given copy via the network; and   receiving, from the server, a confirmation of access rights including information for exchanging a given rights token recorded in a rights blockchain, the given rights token being associated with the given copy,   wherein the request sent by the user device contains identifying information related to a user of the user device;   wherein the given copy is one of a limited number of copies of the digital media file; and   wherein the given rights token includes at least a private key for decrypting the encrypted version and identifying information related to access rights for the digital media file;   in response to the identifying information related to access rights for the digital media file matching the identifying information related to a user of the user device:
 retrieving, from the rights blockchain over the network, the private key for decrypting the encrypted version); and 
 displaying, on a reader or browser application, a decrypted copy of the digital media file, wherein the decrypted copy of the digital media file is not sent by the server to the user device.